Inotropic support during cardiac surgery.

extremely claustrophobic conditions, the nature of the patient's illness, and the requirements for patient compliance during the procedure followed by a rapid recovery. There is a paucity of information on how this can ideally be achieved. Propofol would appear to satisfy these requirements, but its unpredictable effects on involuntary movements precludes its use. The regimen suggested by Dr Gray and colleagues would appear to satisfy the above criteria and appears to provide safe and effective sedation. We would be interested to know how many patients they have studied using this regimen and the number, if any, of adverse effects encountered.